Mod or Die

Velociraptors in Left 4 Dead, new weapons in Killing Floor, new levels in Portal 2… entire mod packs in Minecraft. Is modding the future of gaming? And will publishers continue to allow it despite direct competition with purchased DLC? It is an interesting time to be a PC gamer because of this, and it warrants a deeper look into what has happened in recent history to encourage it.
(Culture, PC)